Who Owns California’s Forests?
California’s forests are owned by several segments of our population. The majority of our forestlands are controlled by the united States Forest Service (14.5 million acres). Private individuals own 10.7 million acres. The timber industry owns 3.7 million acres, while other public agencies, including the Bureau of Land Management, national Park Service, and the State of California (State Parks and State Forests), control 3.6 million acres.
How much of California’s forestlands are a resource for timber and how much are used for other purposes?
Not all of California’s 32 million acres of forestlands are suitable as a timber resource. Of the almost 18.6 million acres of California’s forests considered suitable, or productive, over 2 million acres (almost 11%) are preserved in parks and wilderness areas. The remaining 16.5 million acres make up California’s base for wood product development, while providing wildlife habitat, watershed protection and recreation areas. Over 50 percent of this productive land is managed by the U.S. Forest Service as part of our National Forest system.
Who are the non-industrial forestland owners?
Technically, non-industrial forest owners are people who don’t have sawmills or other wood processing facilities associated with their forestlands. They own forestlands for a variety of reasons. Some own the lands for recreation, such as hunting clubs or vacation property. Others own land for the business of growing and harvesting their trees for sale. Still others are people like ranchers or summer camp operators, who own forested land as part of their business operation. All of these owners have productive timberlands which are capable of producing a continuous supply of wood products if managed correctly. By state law, private forest landowners in California use Registered Professional Foresters (RPFs) to help them develop and implement management plans for their property. Using sound forest management principles and practices, RPFs help protect all of the resources on privately owned property, including trees, wildlife and water.
Who are the industrial forestland owners?
California’s forest products industry owns forestland and the sawmills, plywood plants, pulp and paper plants, pole plants, molding mills, box factories and more, which convert the wood into the products we all use in our daily lives. As required by California state law, Registered Professionals Foresters are responsible for planning for the protection of water, wildlife and other forest elements on lands owned by the forest products industry. RPFs also prepare timber harvesting plans (THPs), which are plans developed for harvesting in forests. State agencies then review these harvesting plans for compliance with the environmental regulations implemented by the Forest practices Act. California has a very comprehensive set of forest practice laws which require all forest landowners to protect the environment while growing and harvesting timber for a sustained, or continuous supply of wood.
Who owns and manages the National Forests?
All Americans own the National Forests. The National Forests were established in 1896 to protect the surplus lands in the United States from overuse and ensure the United States a continuous source for forest resources. Congress directs the Forest Service to provide multiple use and protection of these forests’ resources. One of the many uses of our National Forests is timber harvesting, which helps maintain the health and diversity of the forest while providing a supply of wood for product development. The Forest Service employs foresters and other resource management professionals, including wildlife biologists, archaeologists, hydrologists, botanists and geologists to develop management plans. These forest plans, as well as all Forest Service decisions, are open to public comment and input.
Summary:
Forestlands cover almost one-third of California. That’s 32 million acres out of a total of 101 million acres of land. With its abundance of forests, California is one of the largest suppliers of forest products in the United States, second only to Oregon. Our forests also provide valuable wildlife habitat, watershed protection and recreation areas enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of people every year.
Many of California’s forests are managed and nurtured by state-licensed Registered Professional Foresters (RPFs). RPFs help small private and industrial timberland owners develop and implement management plans for the owners’ forests. Licensed foresters use their education and experience to ensure that the ecological and social values of our forests are maintained.
There are many misconceptions about how our forests are owned and managed. This information was written by Registered Professional Foresters to answer questions and clear up common misconceptions about ownership of California’s forests.